Storage compartments with lowerable storage bins have been widely used on commercial aircraft and in other applications for a number of years. Storage compartments are generally located along the sides of the aircraft and down the center of the aircraft above the seats in the passenger compartment. Regardless of the location, it is advantageous that the storage compartments be located at a sufficient height as not to significantly interfere with passenger movement within the aircraft. It is also advantageous that the storage bins of the storage compartments be sufficiently low when opened to allow passengers to easily place luggage and other carry-on items within the storage bins.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned goals, past storage compartments have included storage bins that are mounted within support structures or flames on the sides and center of the aircraft's passenger compartment. The storage bins are generally mounted so that a passenger may grasp a handle located in the center of the storage bins and pull the storage bin downward. As a passenger asserts a downward force on the storage bin, the storage bin swings downward out of the overhead support structure. The lowered storage bin allows a passenger easier access to the interior of the storage bin. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,275,942 (Steidl); 368,937 (Palombo et al.) and 5,244,269 (Harriehausen et at.) disclose three different overhead storage compartments that function as discussed above.
One disadvantage of past overhead storage compartments is that they are configured to allow the storage bins to lower along a single pre-determined path. The seating configurations on commercial aircraft, on the other hand, are readily reconfigurable to allow different seat spacing, seat widths, and number of seats across the width of the cabin. Although past storage compartments are advantageously configured for a specific seating configuration, they are difficult for passengers to use if other seating configurations are employed.
For illustration, consider an overhead storage compartment for use in a first-class seating configuration in which there are two seats located in the center of the aircraft and two seats located along each side of the aircraft. Overhead storage compartments designed for use in such a seating configuration are generally located along the sides of the aircraft and down the center of the aircraft. The storage compartments are generally configured so that the storage bins are located directly above the seats closest to the aisles of the aircraft. This configuration allows passengers standing in the aisles to easily reach up and pub down the storage bins. As the storage bins move downward, they do so directly over the seats closest to the aisle, thus allowing passengers easy access to the interior of the storage bins.
Now consider the same storage compartments used in an economy class configuration having five seats located down the center of the aircraft mad two seats along each side of the aircraft. In the economy class seating configuration, the center overhead storage compartments are no longer located directly over the seats nearest the aisles of the aircraft. Instead, the storage compartments are spaced inward from the center seats. The passengers must now reach over the seat located nearest the aisle to grasp the handle of the overhead storage bin and pull the storage bin down. Alternatively, passengers must walk into the space between the rows of seats in order to grasp the handle of the overhead storage bin. This option may not be available if passengers are already seated in the seats nearest the aisle. Once a passenger pubs down on the handle of the storage bin, the overhead storage bin lowers downward. However, instead of lowering directly over the seats closest the aisle, the overhead storage bins lower over the interior seats making it difficult for the passenger to access the interior of the storage bin.
Past storage compartments either inconvenience passengers when different seating configurations are used or are retrofitted at the same time the seating configuration is altered. Retrofitting storage compartments involves either removing the storage compartments and replacing them with different storage compartments or at minimum removing the storage bin's movement mechanisms, designing new mechanisms and retrofitting the storage compartments with the new movement mechanism. In either case, retrofitting the preexisting storage compartments is time-consuming and adds to the expense of reconfiguring the aircraft's seating. In addition, in order to meet the need for seating reconfiguration, manufacturers manufacture several different models of storage compartments.
Thus, there exists the need for improved overhead storage compartments that lend themselves to use with different seating configurations without the need to replace the storage compartments or entire movement mechanism. The present invention is directed toward fulfilling this need.